A Cold Case
by Reyen Byrd
Summary: This story begins with deaths. A strange phenomena is spreading across the globe, where children and teenage girls are found dead and covered in frost. You are friends with Jack. He's the one you confide in during hard times, the one who can lift your spirits when you feel down. He's one of the nicest people you know. But is he the one behind these deaths?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi guys. **_

_**So this is my first fanfic, and I'm kinda new to this sort of thing. You know, the whole fandom thing. I had been itching to write a RotG fanfiction for ages now, but I didn't want to write something with wishy washy romance in it (not that I'm against it. All of my favorite RotG fanfics have romance in them.). I wanted to write something different! something new! **_

_**I've been blabbering for a bit now, so enjoy!**_

_**Aaaannnd by the way, I don't own RotG.**_

* * *

Tanya sighed, and wriggled her toes in delight, slamming her laptop shut. It was almost 2 in the morning, and the only thing on her mind was. . . well, a winter spirit.

Her fangirling for Jack had grown from a little crush to an obsession, dreaming of delusional fantasies with Jack Frost. She had the books, she had the posters, and most definitely saw the movie. Four times to be exact. Every strong winter gale that made the foundations of her house creak made her drop everything and run to the window, every tap distracted her, and the frost that formed on the car windows was something to scream about.

Naturally, it worried people.

But she didn't care either. As long as the Winter Spirit existed, she would continue to obsess over him.. Not that he ever showed himself to her. Yet.

It was almost 4 when she heard the knocking. When she finally heard it, she threw the blankets on the floor , scrambled to the window and tore the curtains aside and there he was.

Jack Frost.

"Oh my god."

* * *

Pitch watched the scene unfold from the shadows of the girl's room. _Foolish_, he thought. A cold breeze filled the room as she finally opened the window. Jack leaned in through the open window and paused, staring at Pitch with hesitation. Pitch waved a hand. "Go on." He said. Jack nodded, and pressed his lips against the girl's.

Pitch resisted the urge to turn away, and watched. The effects were immediate, and he watched frost form over the girl's skin until finally. . .

Jack pulled back as the girl fell to the floor. Pitch smiled."Well done. . . Jack." He said, sneering at the name. Jack nodded.

"Yes." He said tonelessly, taking a glance at the girl.

"What are you waiting for Jack? Test your powers out." Pitch said, sauntering across the room and approaching the window. Jack complied and pressed his hand against the window. Frost spread out from his hand, and swirled into intricate patterns. Pitch observed quietly, and climbed out the window.

"I think one more will do the trick." Pitch said. "We must hurry - dawn is near."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own RotG

* * *

"JACK!" You bellowed, slamming a bowl of chips on the coffee table. The Winter Spirit practically jumped out of his seat and frowned. He was sitting on the sofa staring at the computer screen.

"Who writes this stuff!?" He almost wailed, pointing to the screen. He was on your mac, reading the fanfictions. "It makes me embarrassed to be this handsome!" He pouted, and ran a hand through his silvery white hair.

"People write it." You mutter. "Why were you looking at my stuff!?"

"Well, it was right there. . ." he gestured to the laptop frantically, staring in dismay at the fan fiction on the screen. "What is all of this!? It seems like I'm making out with every girl out on the planet! And worse-!"

"Look on the bright side, More people believe in you now" You turn the TV on and start channel surfing, punching the buttons violently. You really had no reason to be embarrassed that he was reading the fanfictions but. . .

"But still!" He whined. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is to read!?" He ranted. He sounded distressed, but his childish tone made it difficult to take him seriously.

"Hmph. I knew about you long before that stupid movie came out." You sniffed, stuffing your hand in the chip bowl.

"So-!?" He stood up and started to twirl his staff around dangerously close to the cabinet with your mother's fine china.

"Uh Jack-" You said, standing up as well. "You're gonna-"

"Oh, oops." He said carelessly, and stared out the window. He sighed, and made a beeline to the door. "I gotta go, North wants me." And with that, he stepped out the door and flew off with the wind. It took you a moment to understand, but when you saw the Northern Lights in the sky. it made sense. You couldn't help but to smile. Oh boy, what did Jack do this time?

If only you knew.

* * *

"What do you want North?" Jack asked lightly, poking an elf with the end of his staff. "I swear I didn't do it." he was back in the North Pole standing in front of the Guardians who arranged themselves in a semicircle around him. There was North, a big jolly man with a white beard and a thick Russian accent, Sandy, a short innocent looking young person who appeared to be made of golden sand, the Easter Rabbit, a tall lean and very muscular rabbit with an Australian accent, and The Tooth Fairy, fluttering around like a hummingbird with her brilliantly colored feathers.

"That's not the point Jack." Tooth said, looking distressed. "There's-" North cut her off, and exhaled loudly.

"The children are in danger again." He said, sweeping a hand aside to gesture towards the globe in the center of the workshop. There were small lights on them, each one indicating a believer.

"What!?" Jack cried out, staring North in disbelief. "But we just defeated Pitch!"

"Then he's back." The Easter Rabbit said, twirling his boomerang in his hand. "And madder than ever." Sandy nodded seriously.

"What's he doing this time?" Jack asked, twirling around and making a ring of frost on the floor. "Giving children too many good dreams?"

"Jack!" Tooth snapped. "This is serious!" Jack turned to Tooth with a surprised look on his face. She had never raised her voice to Jack. "He's doing something even worse-" She leaned forward so that she was face to face with Jack. Their noses were nearly touching- "He's killing them!" As soon as she said that, the entire workshop fell silent - the yetis had stopped hammering away at the toys, and the elves had shut up for once.

"Tooth-" North said sharply. her face was turning red in a mixture of grief, anger and something else. North pulled her back slowly.

Jack meanwhile stood there dumbly, his feet glued to the floor. "No, no- he's what?" He was turning even paler than normal, and turned to the globe. "He's killing-?" It took a moment to finally register, and he turned to North. "North, we have to stop him-"

"No!" North grabbed Jack's sleeve as he started to lift off the floor "We don't even know if it's Pitch!"

"Let go North!" Jack yelled and yanked his arm away, flying to the opening in the roof.

"Frost!" Bunnymund barked. "Get back here!" Jack stopped, and turned around slowly. An icy gust of wind blew into the workshop and his blue eyes shone dangerously.

"For three centuries." He started. "For three centuries, no one could see me. Three centuries. No one believed in me. I will not anyone or anything hurt those children who believe." he pointed to the globe again. "Then again, I guess you wouldn't remember what it feels like to be invisible. The Children have believed in you for so many years!" And then he was gone.

For the longest moment, the workshop remained silent. Then Tooth broke the silence.

"Is Jack going to be ok?"

No one answered.

* * *

_"And once again, the victims were covered in ice. Police will not release their names but-"_

You turned the TV off. It seemed that every station was talking about the recent deaths again. The details were sketchy. There seemed to be no connection that the police could make about the victims. It seemed to be all random. The only things they could pick up was that all the victims were female and that they died of cold. Nothing else seemed to connect.

How scary, you thought. Was someone doing this to them? Without thinking, you went upstairs and entered the warzone that was you bedroom. Then, as you were locking your window, you caught sight of a person in a blue hoodie shuffling down the path to a lake nearby.

_Jack? What's he doing here?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Things may get confusing, but I tried my best to clear it up as best as I could. If there is some confusion still after reading the next chapters, let me know ok? Please feel free to criticize. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own RotG. Credit goes to Dreamworks and the author for the original series.**

* * *

Days pass uneventfully. You've got school, you've got homework, projects and everything else. It's all a pain really, but you endure them the best you can. You try not to turn the TV or the radio on with all the new about those strange deaths. So many girls, dying of cold.

Just like _him_.

Your parents noticed your bitterness and did what they could to help you. Your favorite meals, homework help even when you didn't need it, or letting you sneak your way out of chores. Your siblings however, were on an entirely different page. They teased you endlessly about the cold to the point that your younger sister was bawling her eyes out after you released your fury in her bedroom, leaving it trashed, and leaving your sister with the ache of a metal jewelry box on the forehead. Your younger brother found it wise to back off after that.

All the while, the death count was mounting. Children became victims, regardless of age or gender.

And during this time period, you never saw Jack, who you could always confide in during tough times.

_Where is he?_

If Guardians could go crazy, Jack was getting there. He could see pitch everywhere, in the shadows, in the broad daylight, everywhere. And yet the children and believers were still being attacked. He would've persisted, if not for the fact that he had no leads as to where Pitch was, or if he actually was the one doing this.

With nothing to do, Jack started to head back home.

_Knock Knock Knock. _You turn from your homework and stared at the window. You had the curtains shut, and you cautiously pulled them apart. Jack was sitting there on the roof with his knuckles in the air, prepared to knock again.

"Jack? What are you doing here? It's late-" You cut yourself off. To be honest, you really missed the Guardian and his presence. "Where were you?"

"On Guardian business." He said wearily through the glass.

"Oh." You said flatly, putting your hand on the window lock. At this point you were at war with yourself. You could let Jack in ( a preferable option ), but now you were thinking about the deaths. Those people all died right in front of their windows. Jack noticed your hesitation and shook his head.

"It's ok, you don't have to open the window. I heard about the. . ." He trailed off with a pained look on his face. "deaths." He can see that the words pain you too.

"It's. . . it's like him all over again." Crap. You're fighting to keep the tears back. Then you make your decision. You take the lock off, and push the window open. "Can you come in?"

Jack hesitates, then climbs in. You take a seat on the chair by your desk and spin around as Jack sits on the edge of your bed. "Do you mind if I do a bit of ranting?" You ask. " I have a few things to get off my chest."

Jack smiled. "Sure."

". . . so I'm screwed for the project." You finish forty five minutes later. Jack nods.

"You really have to stop procrastinating." He smiles again.

"I'll stop procrastinating tomorrow." You reply, and smile yourself. Every now and then when times were hard you would talk to Jack to make you feel better. And as a result, you always felt better after.

Just like _him_.

Your smile falls, and stare at Jack in the eye. _Oh they're exactly the same. . ._ you bite your lip. What am I going to do?

_Do it now, _a voice in the back of your head whispers. _It's now or never. . ._

Meanwhile, Jack went to the window and pushed it open. "I should get going now. . ." He said.

"No wait Jack." You said quietly, grabbing his wrist. He was ice cold to the touch, like before. "don't go yet. . ."

"Huh?" Is all he says before you leaned forward and whispered something quietly into his ear.

_Jack, I like you. _


	4. Chapter 4

**I know I said that I didn't like to add romance in my RotG fanfiction because it's too mainstream, but I'm sorry, I needed this as a 'conflict'. Keep reading if you are still confused, I think I have the missing pieces in the next chapter(s). **

******Disclaimer: RotG does not belong to me. yadda yadda yadda, what a pain these are.  
**

* * *

_Jack, I like you._ The words go past your lips before you can stop them.

"What?" Jack was dumbstruck, and his blue eyes were huge with shock. Of course he should be surprised, you never showed any signs of liking him that way before, "Wha. . . I . . ." You could see it in his eyes, the shock, the confusion, and something else.

You drew back, suddenly shaking from head to toe. The silence was nerve wracking, and you were on the verge of collapsing on the spot in total embarrassment. Jack was taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

". . .Jack?" you whispered, staring at him. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"No." Jack said.

"What. . .?" You suddenly feel the rush of tears again. Jack stepped away from the window and gave you a hard look. "Why?"

"Don't you dare ask me why." Jack snapped. tightening his grip on his staff. "You know why."

"N-no, I don't know-" Your vision was starting to blur with tears.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME!" Jack exploded. "I. AM. NOT. AARON." He gritted his teeth. "GET A GRIP ALREADY! HE'S GONE! HE'S NEVER COMING BACK NOW! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST MOVE ON AND-" he stopped, panting. He was short of breath. Turning to the window, he said "I am leaving now." and with that, he slammed the window shut and disappeared into the night.

You stood there, glued to the spot. Then you collapsed on the bed, sobbing. You were crying because Jack's words stabbed you. You were crying because you knew it was true. You were crying because your heart was breaking.


	5. Chapter 5

**A relatively depressing chapter, it should answer your question 'Who is Aaron?', who has been mentioned in previous chapters. **

**And once again, may I express how I don't own RotG? I don't.**

* * *

NOTE: (y/n)= your name

_My name is Aaron. Aaron Katharos. I've known (y/n) for a very long time. Since we were kids in fact. I remember when she moved into the house next door. I thought she was very pretty at first glance, even though she was red from crying and had snot coming out her nose. She also had her hair in a bit of a bob at the time too._

But let's fast forward a bit now. We grew and changed. We went through middle school. and survived the first half of Grade 10. By then though, (y/n) and I were dating. It seemed unreal at first, but it didn't stay that way for long either.

(y/n) was kind of strange, but I loved that about her. Holidays like Easter always excited her, and losing a tooth was a HUGE deal. I found it cute though. Especially the way she frolicked through the snow in the winter.

Occasionally though, she would talk about friends she had that I never met, considering that we knew each other for almost all our lives. I remember her turning to me and saying "You look like Jack." She said it with an amused smile. Naturally, I asked her

"Who is Jack?"

"A friend." She replied. "But he was white hair. You're like a blond version of him with green eyes." And I dismissed 'Jack' as a figment of her imagination. After all, in this tiny town, there was no one who looked like me.

And now, let's fast forward into last winter. That's the winter when I made a very bad decision. Y'see, when I spent time with (y/n), I never showed her the other side of me. The weak side of me that caved into peer pressure.

I was at a friend's house on Christmas eve, and he offered me a drink. Beer. The others popped the tops off and started to drink, and encouraged me to. If (y/n) was there, I would never dream of taking that can, but she wasn't, and I took it.

Later, (y/n) came by with a gift. She had been running all over town and the 'hood trying to track me down. I can't forget her eyes when she saw me the way I was, wasted.

Horrified, and ashamed, I pushed her into the house, slammed the door and ran outside, desperate to get away from her. She could not see me in that state. She couldn't. And I would never let her either.

And taking that drink was the first mistake I made.

The night was one of the coldest nights of the year, and the wind was howling, and it was snowing too. I wasn't wearing a coat. I was out there, facing the elements in a t-shirt and jeans. But I was too drunk, too intoxicated to realize the severity of the situation and stumbled into the woods, collapsing under the base of a pine tree.

And just like that, the burning cold ebbed away. I remember (y/n) screaming my name, searching for me. But the snow covered my tracks quickly and she never found me that night.

36 hours later, children engaging in a snowball fight found my frost covered corpse at the base of the tree.

I know that I'm dead. But I can't move on.

Not until I can see (y/n) again.

Not until I can say I'm sorry.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own RotG**.

* * *

Nate was in a bad mood. He had lost the fort after a decisive snowball battle that ended in his loss. And he hated losing too. In an attempt to cool his head, he wandered a little ways into the woods and started kicking the trunk of a nearby tree.

Then he heard a branch snap. Nate paused, and bent over to form a snowball out of the sticky snow.

"Who's there?" He called, turning around slowly. Another branch snapped to his left, and he hurled the snowball in that direction, imagining the icy projectile as a shuriken, and that he was Naruto.

"Hey!" he heard a muffled voice cry out, and a teenager stumbled out from bushes, snapping the dry branches as he came out. He was wearing a blue hoodie and brown, torn pants. He was also barefoot, and had silvery hair. "That wasn't very nice." The teenager smirked.

Nate frowned. "Who the hell are you?" He snapped.

The teenager looked slightly offended. "Watch your language. How old are you? Kids shouldn't your age shouldn't have that bad of a potty mouth."

"I'm nine. Like I said earlier, who the hell are you and why the f*** do you care about my age. Kids swear all the time you stupid a******!?"

The teenager was speechless, and turned his head. From behind him a tall man dressed in black appeared, and sighed. Suddenly, Nate was overcome with a sense of fear, and turned to run.

"Jack, if you please." He heard someone say, and as he opened his mouth to scream, icy cold fingers brushed against his cheeks, and a searing pain went through him. Then it was over.

* * *

Pitch was impressed. The slightest contact between Jack and the victim could kill, a significant improvement from before.

"Was that necessary?"

"Hmm?" Pitch looked up.

"I mean, killing the boy." The spirit said.

"Of course it was." Pitch said sweetly. "If you don't continue to gather their energy, everything will have been for naught." There was no response. "Well, we should get going, we-"

"Jack!?" A voice rang out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: RotG is not my property, it's all Dreamworks and the author guy who wrote the series.  
**

* * *

You didn't go over to your relative's place the next day after pulling off the greatest sick act in history. 'Don't want to get everyone else sick', you stated, and with that, your family left you home alone while they partied with your cousins, aunts and uncles.

Today is December 24, you realized with a pang of sorrow. Then, scribbling down a quick note to your parents, you refilled your mug with more tea, got your coat on and slipped out the door.

It wasn't very cold outside, for winter temperatures anyway. There was barely any wind and it was sunny outside.

After a quick stop at the local flower shop to buy some disgustingly expensive flowers, you made your way to the woods, sipping your tea as you went.

then you saw a group of kids milling around the woods, peering anxiously into the trees. "Nate!" Some yelled, trying to see around the trees.

You approached one of the kids. "What happened?"

"Nate went into the woods. . ." A girl said as another one of the kids yelled Nate's name again.

"I'll go in and find him." You said. "You guys stay out though ok? I know you aren't even supposed to play this close to the woods." The kids nodded, and watched as you went through the trees calling Nate's name.

"Nate?" You called. "Na-a-a-te?" The woods weren't very dark or thick, so it was surprising that there was no sign of him. He seemed to have kept walking deeper in the woods, since you were following his tracks.

Then you heard the voices.

"Who the hell are you?" You could tell that it was a kid who said it, but something suddenly stopped you from yelling Nate's name again. The voices grew a bit muffled, and there was something of a cry before it was cut off. You paled.

"N-Nate?" You called out weakly. Then you heard another voice.

"Was it necessary? Killing the boy, I mean."

Your blood grew cold. You could recognize that voice anywhere, anytime. It was Jack. You were sure of it, and stumbled into a horrifying scene. Jack was standing over a bundle of clothes covered in frost, and in front of him was. . .

Pitch.

Without thinking, you cried out:

"Jack!?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Credit goes to Dreamworks for RotG, which is not my property. Geez, we do this with every chapter?  
**

* * *

The trip from the woods to where ever you were now was not a pleasant one. You could only recall a vortex of Nightmare sand, and the pounding you received from continuously slamming against walls of sand. Bruises bloomed across your skin on your legs, arms, head under your clothing. Now, you were immersed in darkness, shivering. You had lost your hat and scarf during the trip, and your coat wasn't even thick enough to keep you warm.

Pressing a hand on the floor, you slowly traced it across the metal until you hit a wall. Reaching up further, a series of thin metal wires snaked together, forming something like a cage from what you could tell. It didn't help that someone took the liberty to drape a thick velvet cloth over the cage, making everything pitch black.

The cold and the dark, together in perfect harmony.

You woke with a start, and shrieked at the pair of glowing eyes opposite to you. For a moment, all you could hear was your heavy breathing before the sound of moving sand filled your ears, and then the eyes were gone.

A stony silence settled in, and you closed your eyes again. By now, you had lost track of the time, and were unable to tell how long you had been in here for. Hours? Days? Weeks? You guessed that it had been 2 days, based your body's schedule. But each time you would wake, the glowing eyes of Pitch's Nightmares would stare back at you in the darkness. For what reason was unknown.

It didn't really help that he never bothered to feed you either since you came. Your stomach growled horribly, and you had no energy to move around to keep warm. "Pitch?" You croaked (your were parched as well.). "Pi-i-itch?" No response. For a moment, you considered stopping, feeling rather foolish. "Hello? Is anyone there?" You called out again. Then there was a clatter and you sat up quickly.

"Hello?" There was more clattering, and then it fell silent again. Straining to listen, you held your breath, but it was totally silent.

They say silence is golden. But not in this case. It was torturously quiet, and it terrified you. It was like that moment of icy silence before the monster in the movie came up and killed someone. And without warning, something smashed itself against the cage. With a shriek, you scrambled away from the walls before something yanked back the velvet cloth, blinding you as a dim light shone in, revealing a silhouette of a person carrying a staff that resembled a shepherd's crook.

You shielded your eyes, and squinted. "Jack-?" At least, you thought it was Jack. The Winter Spirit was slouching, and had his hands curled into fists. He also seemed even paler than before, and was it even possible for Guardians to get bags? "Oh god," You said quickly, pulling yourself up and walking quickly towards him "are you ok-"

Jack suddenly cringed, and swung his staff, smashing the bars of the cage. "STAY BACK!" He screamed, swinging it again. You recoiled, staring at him in disbelief. Was he going mad? You raised a hand. "NO!" He bellowed and smashed his staff against the cage again. His breathing was labored, and he took a shaky breath. "Who are you?"

"What-" You started to say. How can you not remember who I am?

"I SAID, WHO ARE YOU?" He roared. "Why is it that when I look at you, my head starts to hurt? Who are you, what are you, that brings me this pain!?" He looked furious, and seemed to be struggling to stand at this point. He grew even paler.

"I don't know what you're talking about," You squeaked, "Don't you remember? It's me, (y/n)!" Your words seemed to resonate throughout the cavern that was Pitch's lair, and without warning Jack clapped his hands over his head and his eyes grew glassy before he let loose an agonizing wail and collapsed on the spot. His staff fell somewhere else.

Without hesitation, you scrambled towards him and sticking your hands through the bars of the cage shook his shoulder. His head lolled to the side, and his hair brushed your hand. Shivers suddenly ran through you, and you leaned over, trying to take a closer look at his hair, when he suddenly raised his head.

Time stopped.

Before you could do anything, a dark shadow fell over the two of you, and you looked up into the golden eyes of Pitch, flanked by his nightmares.

He face was contorted with fury, and with a wave of his hand something slammed into you and you skidded back into the cage and the curtains of black fell again, and everything was black again. Then, the air grew even colder than before, But you didn't even notice it. Something else, something very big was on your mind.

You stared at your hand which you could not see. It was wet with melting frost from Jack's hair. Jack didn't have frost in his hair.

That image of Jack before Pitch arrived was burned into your mind, and your breathing quickened. Jack didn't have green eyes.

That person out there wasn't Jack. It was Aaron.


	9. Chapter 9

**Blah blah blah, I don't own RotG, keep reading. **

* * *

Jack touched down lightly on the roof of (y/n)'s house. On a normal occasion, he would hop down to her window, and if she was there, let him in. But this wasn't a normal occasion.

(y/n)'s confession had caught him off guard. He knew that it could happen, like it did several times with little girls, all grown up into teenagers that he used to play with. He visited them every now and then, but those meetings were always awkward. This was worse though. (y/n) had never shown any signs that she had. . . those feelings for him, and to make it worse he had yelled at her, and probably tore a huge scar open too while he was at it.

For the longest time, he sat there on the roof, trying to decide whether to go down. Then, he turned around and flew off in the wind without looking back.

Tooth gasped, and a tooth clattered to the floor. A miniature version of her swooped down and held the tooth up, trying to be helpful.

"Just put it away." Tooth said in a shaky voice, and the Baby Tooth scurried away. After half heartedly giving the Baby Teeth addresses to get teeth from, she took another tooth from a passing Baby Tooth and closed her eyes. The memories came quickly. A little boy kicking a soccer ball. The same one hopping off the bus. A wrestling match with the boy's older brother that ended with a missing tooth. Finding it after stepping on it accidentally.

Then they came. Flashes of images, an older girl, maybe 13, with the little boy. The girl coming home. The girl on Google Images, looking at picture after picture of an animated teen with white hair, blue hoodie, torn brown pants and a staff. A tiny fist knocking on a door. A bedroom, illuminated with moonlight. A blast of cold air, the curtains shifting in a cold breeze. A figure, sprawled on the floor covered in frost.

Tooth snapped back to reality, still holding the tooth. "Oh no. Oh no." She whispered. She occasionally checked the teeth, looking at the memories within. But today, the first tooth she checked had memories that ended with someone, a friend, dead. Covered in frost.

After that, Tooth was checking teeth at random. Most of them had good memories in them, no one dead, but there were several that had. . . those memories inside of them. It was getting worse. She had to tell North.

She gathered a small group of Baby Teeth, and without any delay went straight to the North Pole.

When Jack saw the lights streaking across the sky, he dropped the snowball in his hand, and without saying good-bye to Jamie and his friends shot into the sky, going straight to the North Pole.

To Jack's surprise, he was one of the first ones there, beating Bunnymund by mere seconds and Sandy by minutes. Tooth was already there when he came, and he nearly tackled her to the ground when he made a glorious entrance into the workshop. Phil, one of the yetis shot death glares at Jack as he cleaned the pile of toy robots that Jack had knocked over when he crash-landed his way into the workshop.

"What is it?" Jack asked quickly, cutting in as Bunnymund opened his mouth to say the same words Jack did. "Is it Pitch?"

"We don't know." North said simply. "But there's one thing we know for sure. It's getting worse." North didn't need to explain what 'It' was.

"But how?" You whispered. Your hand was wet with melting frost. "Aaron is-" You choked on your words. You tried to deny it. But how many other people did you know that looked like Jack Frost, and had blond hair and green eyes? There was one way to find out.

"Pitch!" You yelled. You were trembling with excitement, and completely forgot about the dryness in your throat, and everything else. "PITCH!" You voice echoed throughout the was no response. "PITCH, I WANT ANSWERS-"

"What is it?" A voice hissed from behind you. You whirled around and found a pair of golden eyes staring at you through the darkness.

"That's not Jack out there is it?" You weren't going to hold it in. "Who is that?" Pitch's eyes narrowed, but you could tell he was smiling. "WHO IS HE!?" You screamed, and without thinking slapped Pitch across the face, making a satisfying slapping sound that reverberated hollowly in the cage.

That was your second biggest mistake. All at once, fear overcame you. "Oh my god, I didn't-aagh!" Something barreled over you and knocked you to the side, and again. You gasped weakly, clutching your ribs. Nothing broken, but definitely bruised. Something warm and wet was trickling down your face too, your nose was bleeding.

"That's enough." Pitch said quietly. "You said you wanted answers? Oh, you'll get them," You practically felt him sneering, "And you're going to stay in that spot, because if you don't. . ."

Behind him another pair of golden eyes appeared.


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own RotG.**

* * *

_Fear has always existed. It lies in your heart, whether you know it or not, whether you notice it or not. It's what fueled wars, sparked conflict, destroyed lives. _

_And even in this day and age, it exists in many forms. War, hunger, abuse, they are all forms of fear. It is what brings me power. I exist, to instill fear in the hearts of children, and they exist for me to give them something to fear._

_I am the one hiding under your bed._

_I am the one hiding in your closet. _

_I am the shadow that flits through your room. _

_I am fear. _

_Yet, I am nothing. _

_For centuries, people have stopped fearing me, stopped believing in me. So for years, I have wandered, empty and powerless. But now, I have another chance, and it started on a cold winter's day. . ._

Pitch slipped into the woods, escaping the light of day. This night was relatively uneventful, just a few nightmares here and there, but it was hardly worth it, the nightmares were so weak that the kids didn't even remember them in the morning.

Cursing fluently in an old tongue not spoken for centuries, he wove through the trees with his nightmares at his side. Then he stopped. By a tree nearby, sat a boy. No, a young man, sitting out there with nothing but a t-shirt and jeans on. But that wasn't what had made him stop. The boy's resemblance to a certain winter spirit (Pitch spat at the thought of him) was remarkable.

"Good Morning." He said politely, approaching the boy, who turned his head slowly. Pitch relaxed slightly. This wasn't Jack Frost. The boy before him had pale blond hair and green eyes, completely different from Jack.

"Likewise." The boy mumbled flatly. His eyes were glassy, and he was pale. His words seemed to slur together a bit, and he seemed very disoriented. "Who're you?"

Pitch broke out into a huge smile. "Pitch Black, and you are. . .?"

The boy frowned. "Um. . . A. . . Aaron? Dunno, I don't remember." Pitch looked just as confused as Aaron did, and noticed a shape in the snow beside him. In fact, it looked like a. . .

"You're dead." Pitch said slowly, staring at the frozen corpse in the snow. Curled into a fetal position in the snow was Aaron's body. His hair was coated with frost, and his eyes were closed. A troubled expression remained frozen on his icy face.

"I am?" Aaron said, following Pitch's line of sight. "Oh." He seemed almost surprised at the sight of his body. "How'd that happen?"

"It seems that you froze." Pitch observed. "I'm sorry." For a moment, they said nothing, staring at the body. Pitch's mind was racing all the same, realizing the potential for this frozen boy in the snow. . .

"I'm dead," Aaron said slowly. "but I'm still here. so I'm not dead?"

Pitch groaned inwardly. "You're a lingering spirit, a ghost." ("Oh, that makes sense. . ." Aaron mumbled) "You still have a reason to stay in this world no?"

"I guess. I don't remember." Aaron said tightly, thinking hard.

Pitch smiled kindly. "Well, I could help you regain your memory, and help you pass on."

Aaron stiffened. "What's the catch?" He said cautiously, eyeing Pitch, who laughed on the inside. It seemed that it was now that the boy was taking a good look at who he was talking with.

"I would tell you there's no catch, but that would be telling a lie. You see, I have some. . . enemies that have tried tracking me and hunting me down for years now. I might need your help to get rid of them."

"Can't blame them," Aaron didn't even think before speaking. "You look like a bad guy." Pitch hissed in anger, before regaining his 'kindly' composure.

"I made some mistakes in the past, but yet after all these years, they continue to hound me over a dispute that was resolved. That's not exactly fair now is it?"

"I guess." Aaron looked up, staring at Pitch in the eyes. "I'm in."

Pitch broke out into a toothy grin. "Good choice. Now we should go, I can't stand the sunlight." And with a sweep of his hand, the two of them swirled away into the darkness of the woods.

Aaron's bare feet quietly padded across the stony platform as he neared the covered cage. He heard someone talking, and he hesitated. I shouldn't be here, he thought. Pitch would get mad at me, and he turned around, taking one last glance at the cage.

There was something about that person in the cage that drew him in, but he didn't know what it was. He could only guess that it was something about his previous life and that person that gave him agonizing headaches, but yet. . .

"I must know." he whispered, and crept up to the cage, and held his head awkwardly to the side trying to listen in.

". . .and so it comes to a final, missing piece of the puzzle." Pitch said. "What was he to you?" Aaron stiffened, and leaned in closer.

There was a pause. "It doesn't concern you." She then said defiantly, and suddenly cried out. There was a crash, and a moan. Aaron immediately reached for the cloth and was about to pull it back when he heard the girl give her answer. "He was my boyfriend. Frozen to death on a cold winter's day. He was drunk." At the last word, Aaron's world exploded into a uncontrollable swirl of color and memories.

He woke up with a throbbing head, just barely comprehending all the memories that suddenly crashed into his mind without warning.

"So our friend wakes." A voice crowed. "Sweet dreams?"Aaron's vision cleared, and standing over him was Pitch, smiling broadly. "You heard everything didn't you?"

"I heard enough to remember." Aaron said coldly. "Where is _?"

"Still in the same place." Pitch gestured to the cage. "Where else- oh dear." He said lightly, and grabbed Aaron's hood as he scrambled towards the velvet covered cage. "I'm sorry, you can't see her right now."

"Let go!" Aaron lunged at the cage again in a desperate attempt to get to _, "Why can't I see her!?"

"Things seem to be moving far faster than I had anticipated, so I must act now." Dragging Aaron to the cage, he tore the black cloth aside and there, laying in the center of the cage was _.

The cage floor was covered with a fine layer of black sand, circling around _ with letters of a strange language written on the outside. Lines crossed through the circle, forming a pentagon and in the center, laying over a black four pointed star was _.

She was perfectly still, staring at the ceiling with blank, unseeing eyes. "Endless songs. . . dance. . . pain. . . the queen. . . drink. . . temptation. . ." She muttered listlessly as her hand twitched. "Oh thank goodness. . . broken. . . Nooooooooo. . ." Without warning, she shuddered into a series of spasms before going still and resuming her original position with her arms at her sides and her legs together. "Greed. . . Envy. . . Pride. . . drink. . . cold. . ." She continued to mutter.

"What's happening!?" Aaron smashed himself against the bars of the cage, running his fingers over the bars, searching in vain for a doorway. "What are you doing!?"

"Well." Pitch leaned against a Nightmare that appeared at his side. "It's more than obvious now that she's your key to passing on. But I've put too much time into you to let you go that easily. So I'll make it simple." His eyes glowed, and the sand glowed before _ started the thrash wildly. Her pupils grew enormous, and she started to babble like a madman as tear streamed down her cheeks from her huge open eyes.

"You talk to her, and I will fill her mind with the her deepest darkest nightmares until she breaks." Pitch hissed at the last word, and smiled. "So what will it be Aaron?"

**AN: So. I'm still alive. I know it took me a while to put this chapter up, but school was being a jerk by dumping assignments on me like there's no tomorrow so yeah. My wimpy excuse in a nutshell.  
Disclaimer(since I haven't put one up): RotG belongs to dreamworks and the person who wrote the original series. (c)**


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